Soulmates
By: Mitsukai04
Disclaimer: Yes, I own EVERYTHING! Know what else? I believe I can fly!
~~~
The split second Kikyo released her arrow, a loud roar that sounded a great deal like thunder and an ear-splitting crash came from behind her.
Caught off guard, the miko turned quickly to see what had happened to her spirit shield.
In doing so, she lost her focus on Kagome, who flew up and away from the tree and then landed on the ground with a 'thud!', the blue aura that had been surrounding her now gone.
Kikyo stared in shock at Inuyasha, who was now free of her magic.
He was tightly gripping the Testusaiga and taking deep breaths, his eyes hidden by his hair.
"How did you-"
Kikyo's fell short as Inuyasha looked up at her, his eyes a dangerous red.
But when he saw Kagome fall and hit the ground, having been released from Kikyo's spell, his eyes immediately returned to their bold gold color.
He dropped his sword and cried out in a shaky voice. "KAGOME!"
Inuyasha pushed past Kikyo, who stumbled to the ground, and ran with inhuman speed to her.
He scooped up the human girl in his arms, gently cradling her in his lap. "Kagome, are you-"
Inuyasha swallowed his words when he saw the arrow protruding from Kagome's stomach. The scent of her blood hit his nose in horrible realization.
Kagome's eyes fluttered open for a moment and she looked upon Inuyasha's face with warm recognition. A look of pain then shadowed her face before she could speak and she fell unconscious once again.
Inuyasha could not contain the growl growing in his throat. He turned to face the undead priestess standing calmly a few feet away.
"Why, Kikyo? WHY? Kagome has done nothing to you! This is between you and me!"
Kikyo's eyes narrowed angrily as her power began to crackle around her.
"That foolish reincarnation of myself should have stayed in her own world! You are mine, Inuyasha, and it will remain that way for all of time."
Kikyo was a little more than startled when Inuyasha moved quickly to stand directly in front of her, his face mere inches away from hers.
"Fine then," he growled. "I'm yours! But leave Kagome alone."
"She is a nuisance that must be destroyed in order for you and I to be as one."
Inuyasha took a step back, slightly surprised by the implication of her comment.
"You're... jealous of Kagome? You actually feel threatened by her?"
Kikyo remained calm, despite the flame of anger that had appeared in her eyes. "Inuyasha, I must regain my soul! It is the only way!"
Kikyo moved swiftly past him and towards the unconscious Kagome, only to have Inuyasha step in front her again, a low growl as her only warning.
Desperate, Kikyo moved forward and clutched the front of his kimono. "Inuyasha, you don't understand! You and I were fated to be with one another! Soulmates, Inuyasha! My soul completes yours. The fragment that I contain now isn't enough! I must regain my soul!"
Inuyasha's eyes visibly softened with pain as old wounds were reopened by her words. He carefully took hold of Kikyo by the wrists and pulled her hands away from his kimono.
"It was also fate that drove us apart, Kikyo. We may have been soulmates, but destiny was cruel to us. I do regret the way things turned out, and I probably always will. But you're dead now, Kikyo, and have been for 50 years. We've both been given a second chance...through Kagome. If anything, the fragment of soul that you have rightfully belongs to her now. Kagome is...my new soulmate. I...love her."
All the while as he spoke, Kikyo kept her head bowed. At hearing Inuyasha's declaration of love for her reincarnation, her body shook violently with sobs.
Inuyasha stepped away from her and looked away. So much pain. They had both caused each other so much pain. But he could not deny the truth. He loved Kagome now, perhaps even more than he ever could for Kikyo.
Kikyo's hands clenched into fists as she looked up again at her former love. "If I can't have you, NO ONE CAN!"
Inuyasha, startled by her words, turned quickly to look at her, only to see that her eyes were now a blinding white before being thrown against a tree.
~~~
Kagome groaned in pain as she tried to lift herself off the ground. The blood loss was making her incredibly dizzy but she was determined to get back up. The sight of Kikyo's arrow still protruding from her stomach wasn't helpful either.
Her arms shook with the weight of her tiny frame before she sank to the ground again, lying on her side. She was still too weak.
It was then that she heard Kikyo's cry of outrage and saw Inuyasha thrown against a tree by a powerful burst of energy.
Kagome let out a tiny cry of shock. "Inuyasha," she cried out softly.
She watched as Kikyo moved swiftly towards Inuyasha, her arms lifted in a threatening manner.
'No! She won't take him away from me!," Kagome thought as she summoned all her energy to move once again.
It was then she noticed Kikyo's forgotten bow. She glanced down at the arrow within her and a plan began to form.
~~~
Inuyasha struggled against Kikyo's energy as she moved quietly towards him.
"She CANNOT have you, Inuyasha! I won't let her! This new love will NOT replace what we had!"
Kikyo's arms rose as orbs of energy began to form in both hands.
Inuyasha's eyes widened as he still continued to struggle. "Kikyo, don't do this!"
Kikyo brought both orbs of energy together, creating a larger, more powerful orb. "I must! There is no other way!"
As Kikyo moved to throw the deadly orb at Inuyasha, a voice called out from behind her.
"Think again, Kikyo!"
Caught off guard, Kikyo turned around angrily just as an arrow was shot through her stomach.
The sound of shattering clay was heard as Kikyo stared at her reincarnation.
Kagome stood several feet away, poised with a bow in her hand. The arrow that had struck her in the stomach was gone, having been used to shoot Kikyo, and the large wound was bleeding freely. Yet Kagome did not lose her ground as she stood still, her eyes blazing with sheer determination.
"It ends NOW, Kikyo."
'Please let this work!' Kagome silently thought to herself.
Kikyo, though still surprised, managed a smirk before raising the large orb of energy into view. "Think again, little girl," she said as she prepared to strike down Kagome.
It was then that Kagome dropped the bow and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes in concentration.
Kikyo took it as a sign of defeat and raised the orb.
Kagome kept her eyes closed as she did her best to channel her energy into her arrow. Her blood was still on the arrow that she had used against Kikyo, and she only hoped that would increase her strength. Kikyo's startled cry of horror caused Kagome's to snap open.
The dead miko's orb had vanished. Her eyes had returned to a normal color as she began to glow a bright pink. Kikyo clutched the arrow in her stomach and glared at Kagome.
"What have you done to me?!?"
Kagome had little time to respond as the source of light violently exited Kikyo's body and entered her own.
Kikyo reached out for the light in vain. "NO! My soul!..." Losing her soul fragment triggered the release of all of souls that had been contained within her body.
Kagome watched as her former self dropped to her knees and reached her arms out to the heavens before crumbling away into dust.
Throughout the entire event, Inuyasha had managed to stand and lean against a tree as he watched everything unfold before his eyes.
As Kikyo turned into dust, Kagome saw him at a distance and took a step towards him, clutching her wound as the hanyou did his best to move towards her.
"Inuyasha...I'm sorry," she whispered as she fell to the ground.
"Kagome!"
~~~
Author's Note: Only one more chapter to go! Thanks for reading!
By: Mitsukai04
Disclaimer: Yes, I own EVERYTHING! Know what else? I believe I can fly!
~~~
The split second Kikyo released her arrow, a loud roar that sounded a great deal like thunder and an ear-splitting crash came from behind her.
Caught off guard, the miko turned quickly to see what had happened to her spirit shield.
In doing so, she lost her focus on Kagome, who flew up and away from the tree and then landed on the ground with a 'thud!', the blue aura that had been surrounding her now gone.
Kikyo stared in shock at Inuyasha, who was now free of her magic.
He was tightly gripping the Testusaiga and taking deep breaths, his eyes hidden by his hair.
"How did you-"
Kikyo's fell short as Inuyasha looked up at her, his eyes a dangerous red.
But when he saw Kagome fall and hit the ground, having been released from Kikyo's spell, his eyes immediately returned to their bold gold color.
He dropped his sword and cried out in a shaky voice. "KAGOME!"
Inuyasha pushed past Kikyo, who stumbled to the ground, and ran with inhuman speed to her.
He scooped up the human girl in his arms, gently cradling her in his lap. "Kagome, are you-"
Inuyasha swallowed his words when he saw the arrow protruding from Kagome's stomach. The scent of her blood hit his nose in horrible realization.
Kagome's eyes fluttered open for a moment and she looked upon Inuyasha's face with warm recognition. A look of pain then shadowed her face before she could speak and she fell unconscious once again.
Inuyasha could not contain the growl growing in his throat. He turned to face the undead priestess standing calmly a few feet away.
"Why, Kikyo? WHY? Kagome has done nothing to you! This is between you and me!"
Kikyo's eyes narrowed angrily as her power began to crackle around her.
"That foolish reincarnation of myself should have stayed in her own world! You are mine, Inuyasha, and it will remain that way for all of time."
Kikyo was a little more than startled when Inuyasha moved quickly to stand directly in front of her, his face mere inches away from hers.
"Fine then," he growled. "I'm yours! But leave Kagome alone."
"She is a nuisance that must be destroyed in order for you and I to be as one."
Inuyasha took a step back, slightly surprised by the implication of her comment.
"You're... jealous of Kagome? You actually feel threatened by her?"
Kikyo remained calm, despite the flame of anger that had appeared in her eyes. "Inuyasha, I must regain my soul! It is the only way!"
Kikyo moved swiftly past him and towards the unconscious Kagome, only to have Inuyasha step in front her again, a low growl as her only warning.
Desperate, Kikyo moved forward and clutched the front of his kimono. "Inuyasha, you don't understand! You and I were fated to be with one another! Soulmates, Inuyasha! My soul completes yours. The fragment that I contain now isn't enough! I must regain my soul!"
Inuyasha's eyes visibly softened with pain as old wounds were reopened by her words. He carefully took hold of Kikyo by the wrists and pulled her hands away from his kimono.
"It was also fate that drove us apart, Kikyo. We may have been soulmates, but destiny was cruel to us. I do regret the way things turned out, and I probably always will. But you're dead now, Kikyo, and have been for 50 years. We've both been given a second chance...through Kagome. If anything, the fragment of soul that you have rightfully belongs to her now. Kagome is...my new soulmate. I...love her."
All the while as he spoke, Kikyo kept her head bowed. At hearing Inuyasha's declaration of love for her reincarnation, her body shook violently with sobs.
Inuyasha stepped away from her and looked away. So much pain. They had both caused each other so much pain. But he could not deny the truth. He loved Kagome now, perhaps even more than he ever could for Kikyo.
Kikyo's hands clenched into fists as she looked up again at her former love. "If I can't have you, NO ONE CAN!"
Inuyasha, startled by her words, turned quickly to look at her, only to see that her eyes were now a blinding white before being thrown against a tree.
~~~
Kagome groaned in pain as she tried to lift herself off the ground. The blood loss was making her incredibly dizzy but she was determined to get back up. The sight of Kikyo's arrow still protruding from her stomach wasn't helpful either.
Her arms shook with the weight of her tiny frame before she sank to the ground again, lying on her side. She was still too weak.
It was then that she heard Kikyo's cry of outrage and saw Inuyasha thrown against a tree by a powerful burst of energy.
Kagome let out a tiny cry of shock. "Inuyasha," she cried out softly.
She watched as Kikyo moved swiftly towards Inuyasha, her arms lifted in a threatening manner.
'No! She won't take him away from me!," Kagome thought as she summoned all her energy to move once again.
It was then she noticed Kikyo's forgotten bow. She glanced down at the arrow within her and a plan began to form.
~~~
Inuyasha struggled against Kikyo's energy as she moved quietly towards him.
"She CANNOT have you, Inuyasha! I won't let her! This new love will NOT replace what we had!"
Kikyo's arms rose as orbs of energy began to form in both hands.
Inuyasha's eyes widened as he still continued to struggle. "Kikyo, don't do this!"
Kikyo brought both orbs of energy together, creating a larger, more powerful orb. "I must! There is no other way!"
As Kikyo moved to throw the deadly orb at Inuyasha, a voice called out from behind her.
"Think again, Kikyo!"
Caught off guard, Kikyo turned around angrily just as an arrow was shot through her stomach.
The sound of shattering clay was heard as Kikyo stared at her reincarnation.
Kagome stood several feet away, poised with a bow in her hand. The arrow that had struck her in the stomach was gone, having been used to shoot Kikyo, and the large wound was bleeding freely. Yet Kagome did not lose her ground as she stood still, her eyes blazing with sheer determination.
"It ends NOW, Kikyo."
'Please let this work!' Kagome silently thought to herself.
Kikyo, though still surprised, managed a smirk before raising the large orb of energy into view. "Think again, little girl," she said as she prepared to strike down Kagome.
It was then that Kagome dropped the bow and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes in concentration.
Kikyo took it as a sign of defeat and raised the orb.
Kagome kept her eyes closed as she did her best to channel her energy into her arrow. Her blood was still on the arrow that she had used against Kikyo, and she only hoped that would increase her strength. Kikyo's startled cry of horror caused Kagome's to snap open.
The dead miko's orb had vanished. Her eyes had returned to a normal color as she began to glow a bright pink. Kikyo clutched the arrow in her stomach and glared at Kagome.
"What have you done to me?!?"
Kagome had little time to respond as the source of light violently exited Kikyo's body and entered her own.
Kikyo reached out for the light in vain. "NO! My soul!..." Losing her soul fragment triggered the release of all of souls that had been contained within her body.
Kagome watched as her former self dropped to her knees and reached her arms out to the heavens before crumbling away into dust.
Throughout the entire event, Inuyasha had managed to stand and lean against a tree as he watched everything unfold before his eyes.
As Kikyo turned into dust, Kagome saw him at a distance and took a step towards him, clutching her wound as the hanyou did his best to move towards her.
"Inuyasha...I'm sorry," she whispered as she fell to the ground.
"Kagome!"
~~~
Author's Note: Only one more chapter to go! Thanks for reading!